Ryan expects support for GOP

Graphics

NEWPORT BEACH Rep. Paul Ryan, one of the Republicans' brightest stars on Capitol Hill, dropped into Orange County on Thursday to lay out his vision of how lawmakers can roll back the “big government” changes of President Barack Obama.

While one local congressman, Democrat Alan Lowenthal, took advantage of the congressional recess to hold a roundtable discussion of the repercussions if sequestration cuts are allowed to go into effect on March 1, Ryan spoke only in broad terms about the budget and the GOP approach.

“We are going to do everything we can to get our spending and our debt under control to prevent a debt crisis,” said Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, 2012 vice presidential nominee and possible 2016 presidential candidate.

Ryan gave a 10-minute speech at a Hyatt Regency Newport Beach luncheon hosted by Rep. Ed Royce, R-Fullerton. Ryan told the crowd of about 260 that voters would back GOP initiatives once they saw Obama's changes in action.

“The results of big government, in practice – the fiscal recklessness, the debt that it grows, the lack of freedom of choice in health care and all these other sectors of our economy – that will all happen in reality now,” Ryan said.

“So our vision of showing the country – here's how to balance the budget, here's how to reform the tax code, here's how you grow the economy, here's how you fix the immigration laws, here's how you fix health care – we now get to showcase these ideas in contrast to big government policies that have proven, wherever tested, not to work.”

Earlier in the day, Lowenthal, a freshman member of Congress, hosted an event at his Long Beach office on the sequestration cuts – a sharp contrast to Ryan's message of the need to shrink government.

Lowenthal, whose district extends from Long Beach to Garden Grove and Westminster, brought in education, airport, mental health and small-business representatives to outline the across-the-board cuts called for by sequestration. Among the predictions: cuts in school programs for the disabled and vocational education, longer lines and fewer flights at airports, and fewer crucial loans to small businesses.

“This is going to have a devastating impact on our economic recovery,” Lowenthal said. “It will especially impact the people who are the most vulnerable.”

Ryan has predicted that Congress will allow sequestration cuts to kick in. Lowenthal doubts there is time to finalize a comprehensive alternative, but says Congress will find a way to again postpone the cuts originally scheduled to take effect Jan. 1.

“I think that's a terrible way to go, but it's better than the sequester,” he said. “No matter what we do by March 1, it won't be the grand bargain we eventually need.”

In Newport Beach, Ryan said a famous quote applied to the budget crisis.

“Winston Churchill was right when he said that the Americans can be counted on to do the right thing,” Ryan said. “But only after they've exhausted all the other possibilities.”

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.